The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 270 No 7242 p426
29 March 2003

This article
Reprint
Photocopy

News summary

Related websites
Public Health Laboratory Service: Tuberculosis (more)

TB rates still rising

Rates of tuberculosis (TB) in England and Wales have risen again, according to new public health data.

A report from the Public Health Laboratory Service reveals that there was a 6 per cent increase in TB cases reported in 2001 compared with the previous year. A total of 6,669 cases were reported in 2001 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland — a rate of 12.4 per 100,000 population.

TB rates have increased most sharply in London. This rise is predominantly among people born abroad. About 6 per cent of cases were drug resistant at diagnosis in 2000 and 1 per cent multi-drug resistant.

The publication of the report coincided with World TB day on 24 March.